Apparatus for washing photographic prints.



A. D. ALT.

APPARATUS FOR WASHING PHOTOGBAPHIG PRINTS.

APPLIOATIOIH nun an. 10, 1910.

Patented NOV. 1, 1910.

LVVEXTO/. M 29. M

& E S s b T W and le OFFICE.

ARNOLD D. ALT, 01' 8'1. LOUIS,

Specification of Letters Iatent.

110B WASHING PHOTOGMPHIO PRINTS;

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application m January 10, 1910. Serial 1:... 5mm.

Tooll whomt'tmlwcomem:

Be it known that I, AnNonn D. Am, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of .Missouri, have Invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Washing Photographic Prints, of which the followis a ull, clear, and exact specification, re erence be had to the accompanying drawings, whic form a part thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus whereby the washing which forms'a part of the process of developing photographic and similar ne atives and prints is done.

In deve oping photo ra hic and similar negatives and prmts, it is necessary that all the surplus or unused chemicals be removed and this is done by thoroughly washing said negatives and prints by exposing them to a stream of running water or by leaving them for ale th of time immersed in a bath of water. Vhen a bath is used the ne atives or prints are immersed therein t until the water of the bath has done its work and then this water is drawn off and fresh water supplied. The water of the bath is changed as often as may be necessary A until the prints or negatives are thoroughly washed,

The. b ect of my invention is to rovide an a paratus for washing photograp ic and simi ar ne atives and rints in w ich the water of t e washing ath is supplied in measured quantities and is automatically drawn off at regular intervals without the care or attention of an'attendant.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings where similar reference letters are used to designate similar parts.

Figure 1 is a pers ective view of one form of the apparatus; ig. 2 is a view of a vertical section on the line 22 f Fig. 1, showing the working parts at one end of the a aratus; FigF3 is a view of a section on t e ine 3--3 of ig. 2, showing the construction of a part of the ap aratus; Fi 4 is a view of a section on the ins 4-4 of ig. 2, showing a detail of construction; and- Fig. 5 is a view showing a second form of construction of a part shown in the other figures.

Referring to the fi res A is a tank having suitable support B; (5 is a funnel having an overflow pipe E and a pipe D through which water is discharged into the tank near, the bottom thereof. The pipe D is fastened to the tank by means of the holder Maud has a valve F by means ofwhich the flow of water from the funnel into the tank A is controlled.

G is a siphon having its shorter leg minating inside the tank and'its longer leg Tterminati outside of the tank. In its, referred formt at part of the siphon G w ich is inside of the tank A is made oval as shown in Fi 3 and 4, and the shorter axis of the oval ies in a vertical plane at the upper part of the bend ofthe siphon. The shorter leg S of the siphon may terminate just above the bottom of the tank A as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, or it may terminate in a depression P formed in the bottom of the tank as shown in Fig. 5.

H is an openin in the side of the shorter leg S of the sip on through which air is admittedwhen the water falls below the level of this opening. When the siphon is operatingiand the water' falls below the opening air enters the siphon and causes it to cease to operate. Without the opening H the si hon would operate until the lower end of t e Is there would e a rush of water and air through the large opening in the end of the siphon, and this rush would tend to carry floating prints to the si hon. The opening H is small as compare to the opening at the lower end of the leg S and the flow of.

water through this opening H is not rapid, so that'when it is uncovered there is not much tendency for the prints to be drawn against the siphon.

When the leg S of the siphon terminates in a depression formed in the bottom of the tank as shown in Fig. 5, I refer to have the o ning H laced so t at it will be about evel with t e to of the depression P; when, however, the s orter leg S of the siphon terminates just above the bottom of the tank A as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, I prefer to have the opening H about half or three quarters of an inch above the bottom of the tank.

It is a screen laced in the tank from side to side thereof or the purpose of preventing light prints or negatives from floating against the si hon and interfering with its 0 eration. Tile prints or negatives are paced in that part of the tan: separated rom the si hon by the screen R. find that when t he siphon G is placed close to the end of the tank and the lower part of the leg S is cut away at the rear as shown S ter-- S was uncovered and then in\Fig. 4 the screen may be dispensed with and this cut-away portion will prevent the negatives or prints from interfering with the operation of said siphon. When this form of the leg S of the s1ph0n 1s used the opening H should be placed on a level with the top of the cut-away portion K, as shown in Flg. 4.

N is a pipe leading from a source of supply of water through which water lsadmltted into the funnel The operation of the device is as follows: The rints or negatives to be washed are place in the tank and water is su lied to the funnel 0 through the p1pe amount of water should be such that the funnel will be kept full to a hei ht such that the water is just on the point 0 flowing out .through the overflow p1pe E. The flow of through the longer leg T. The size of the siphon mustalways be such that the water will be discharged therethrough from the tank more rapidly than it is admitted through the pipe D, so that the tank will be em tied by the operation of the siphon. I preihr to make the siphon of an oval cross section as shown in the figures, because when the tank is filled so that the water covers the lower art of the upper bend of the siphon it wil begin to leak or dribble over 1nto the lon er leg from the shorter leg, and when the istance between the lower part of the bend of the siphon and the upper part is small this dribbling or leaking of water will not last a very long time. The dribbling or leaking will continue until the siphon has become completely immersed in l the water, and then the siphon will begin to o erate normally. When the water has been discharged from the tank so that its level I has fallen to the opening H in the leg S, air

will enter through said opening H and the siphon will cease to operate, and water will be left in the tank to a depth about the distance of the opening H above the bottom of the tank. When the end of the leg S of the siphon is in the depression P as shown in Fig. 5, the water Wlll be drawn completely from the tank with the exception of what may remain in the depression The rate of flow of the water into the tank may be regulated by the valve F. Whenthe water flows into the tank slowly and the siphon G is large the tank will be filled slowly and discharged rapidly, so that the s55; i i

interval betweenone dischar e and the next will be long. If the rate of flow of water into the tank from the funnel C be large as compared to the rate of discharge through the siphon G, the interval between one discharge. and another will be short and the time required to discharge the tank will be comparatively long.

By properly adjusting the valve F and the supply of water to the funnel C the apparatus may be made to work so as to fill and discharge as desired, and when once adjusted it will continue to operate to supply water to wash the prints or negatives wlthout any attention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for washing photographic negatives and prints comprising a tan tank, a funnel at the upper end of said pipe, an overflow pipe leading from said funnel, a siphon adapted to discharge the water from said tank, and means whereby said negatives and prints are prevented from interfering with the operatlon'of said siphon, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for washing photogra hic negatives and an a pipe for supp ying water to said tank, a funnel at-the upper end'of said pipe, an overflow pipe leading from said funnel, a valve for regulating the .flow of water through the pipe for supplying water to said tank, a siphon adapted to discharge the water from said tank, said siphon having an opening in its shorter leg above rthe lower end thereof, and .means whereby said negatives and plints are prevented from interfering wit the operation of said siphon, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for washing photo tank, a pipe for supplying water to said tank, a funnel at the upper end of said pipe, an overflow pipe leading from said funnel,

a pipe for supplying water to said rints comprising a.

graphic negatives and prints comprising a I lie a valve for regulating the flow of water through said pipe for su plying water to said tank, a siphon adapte to discharge the water from said tank, said siphon having a bend of oval cross section between its legs and an 0(peningin its shorter leg above the lower en thereof, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for washing photographic negatives and prints comprising a tank, a pipe for supplying water to said tank, a funnelat the upper'end of said ipe, an overflow pipe leading from. saidunnel, a valve for regulating the flow of water through the pipe for su plying water to said tank, a siphon adapte to discharge the water from said tank, said siphon having an opening in its shorter le lower end thereof and a bend 0% oval cross section between its legs, and having also a above the p grxaphic negatives and eutaway part at the-rear and lower end of said shorter leg whereby the negatives and prints are prevented from inter ering with the operation of said siphon, substantially as described.

5. An apparatus "for washing photo-' rints comprising a ta a pipe for supp ying water to said tank, a funnel at the upper end of said pipe, an overflowpipe leadmg'from said funnel, a valve for re ating the flow of water through the p1pe for suppl ing water to said tank, a siphon adapte to discharge the water from sam tank, said siphon having an opening in its shorter leg above the 15 lower end thereof and having a a cutaway part at the rear and lower end of said shorter leg whereby the negatives and prints are prevented from interfering ,with

the operation of said siphon, substantially 20 as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARNOLD D. ALT. Witnesses:

W. J. Sm'rn Cnnrsrr M. ARRAB. 

